Divorce is a common occurrence in today’s world. In some states almost half of the marriages end in divorce. When a married couple has an Autistic child it further complicates the home situation. The inability of one or both parents to deal with the stress and problems in raising an autistic child can be a cause of divorce. Parents of children with autism experience higher degrees of stress in their lives.
The Autistic Society of America, in a study, found the following cause for stress among autistic parents:
1. Parents inability to determine the child’s needs.
2. Reactions from society to the autistic child and the feelings of isolation.
3. Concerns regarding future care for the autistic child.
4. Finances and economic pressures caused by the cost of the therapies for the child.
5. Feelings of grief.
6. Lack of personal time.
7. Stress from reactions by siblings and other family members
Divorce and Autism
There are special issues that affect parents of an autistic child during divorce proceedings. Issues involving child custody, visitation, change in child custody, child support, family court issues, child abuse and child neglect proceedings, special education expenses for the child, and health insurance for the autistic child are issues that need to be dealt with.
Autism in America
There has been an astronomical increase in the past ten years in the number of children born in American who develop autism. Now approximately 1 out of every 90 child born in the United States develops autism.
Autism affects children in different ways. Autistic children often have difficulty speaking. Some autistic children only repeat what they hear others say. Autistic children have difficulty making eye contact. They can engage in obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Examples of this type of behavior include lining up objects in a row and repeating a task over and over again for many hours.
Some autistic children do not understand danger. They can place their hand on a stove even if they were burned by doing this previously. Autism is a serious disorder. An autistic child’s ability to learn, communicate and socially interact is negatively affected. Although autism is not curable, early diagnosis and intense behavioral treatment can allow the child to make significant improvements.
